Jurgen Klopp feels 'perfect' Mohamed Salah could follow extraordinary example of ex-Liverpool star

Speaking at a charity event in Liverpool, Klopp said that Salah and the club were 'perfect' for each other, and revealed one moment he will remember most fondly from working with the attacker

Klopp spoke about Salah's immense impact aft Liverpool in the week he announced his imminent Anfield exit(Image: Getty Images)

Jurgen Klopp believes Mohamed Salah’s work rate and dedication mean he could continue playing into 40s.

The ex-Liverpool manager is back on Merseyside in the same week Salah announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the season. The winger, who Klopp signed from Roma in 2017, may have just 10 games remaining for the club before his exit this summer.

Speaking on Friday ahead of Liverpool legends’ match against Dortmund, where the German is taking charge of the Reds against another for his former sides, Klopp described 33-year-old Salah as an “all-time great” and said he has much more to offer.

“He is an incredible professional,” Klopp told reporters at a charity media appearance at Anfield Sports and Community Centre. “He set completely new standards for a professional football player - how hard you can work, how much you can invest in recovery and everything.

“If something came up, he got all the information about it and then he had it the next day and if it was not good then he threw it away again.

“So now he leaves here but I would not be surprised if he plays another six or seven years to be honest. He's an all-time great without a shadow of a doubt and I'm really proud to be a part of that career.”

Mohamed Salah and Jurgen Klopp were integral to Liverpool's recent success(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

In addition to Salah’s immense talent, Klopp said it was his desire and drive that set him apart from others, characteristics he saw in only one other Liverpool player.

“The work rate he put in; the gym, the fitness, the strength and all these things. He was unmatched… [apart from] maybe Milly [James Milner].

“Milly is still playing, so Mo can still play for a few years. Of course, he was different, but it would take too long to tell you. You all saw it. You all can see it still.

Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season(Image: Getty Images)

“He knows this was the perfect club for him and he was the perfect player for us.

“The numbers he produced and the standards he set, I think some of them, if not all, will stay unmatched in this modern Premier League era, definitely, because it's ridiculous to do that, and to do it for one club more or less.”

Asked if there’s one moment he cherished most from his time working with Salah, Klopp replied: “The penalty against Tottenham [in the 2019 Champions League final], because he told me after the game that he decided in the last second that he would not shoot in the other corner.

“If I had known that in the moment when he took the penalty, I would have had a heart attack. There were so many incredible, important moments.”